Dr Pamela Douglas comments on 'Holding the complex whole: generalist philosophy, priorities and practice that facilitate whole-person care' by Dr Johanna Lynch, Australian Journal of General Practice 2023

Dear colleagues,

Neuroprotective Developmental Care or the Possums programs are clinical and educational translations of extensive, interdisciplinary research literature. I've interpreted and integrated this research, translating it into clinical applications, by applying three main theoretical frames

• Evolutionary biology (including cross-cultural studies)

• Complexity science, discussed more here

• My clinical experience as generalist doctor with a special interest in clinical breastfeeding and lactation support.

Dr Johanna Lynch's ground-breaking article is the best articulation of the generalist doctor's mind and approach to whole patient care I've encountered. It was an exciting find, because it describes so well the lens that I've worn throughout my professional life and applied as I've developed up the NDC or Possums programs.

Cheers,

Pam

The article 'Holding the complex whole: Generalist philosophy, priorities and practice that facilitate whole-person care' by Dr Johanna Lynch (2023) can be read here.

Part 1 (below): In praise of the generalist doctor's skillset: why Dr Johanna Lynch's remarkable new article also casts light on the development of NDC or the Possums programs

Part 2 (below): In praise of the generalist doctor's skillset: why Dr Johanna Lynch's remarkable new article also casts light on the development of NDC or the Possums programs

Part 3 (below): In praise of the generalist doctor's skillset: why Dr Johanna Lynch's remarkable new article also casts light on the development of NDC or the Possums programs

Part 4 (below): Another take on why Dr Johanna Lynch's paper has mattered so much to me, including it's intellectual validation of the kind of thinking processes that lie beneath the explanatory "scripts" (the kind of wording and ways of explaining things to patients) I've developed for use in NDC/Possums programs.

Reference

Lynch JM, Thomas HR, Askew DA, Sturman N. Holding the complex whole: generalist philosophy, priorities and practice that facilitates whole-person care. Australian Journal of General Practice. 2023;527:doi: 10.31128/AJGP-31101-31123-36686.

Lynch JM, Dowrick C, Meredith P. Transdisciplinary generalism: naming the epistemology and philosophy of the generalist. Journal of Evaluation in Clinical Practice. 2021;27:638-647.

Lynch JM, Van Driel ML, Meredeith P. The craft of generalism clinical skills and attitudes for whole person care. Journal of Evaluation in Clinical Practice. 2021;28:1187-1194 DOI: 1110.1111/jep.13624.